That's What Friends Are For...

To many people... friends are for a reason! For some people I have met, friends are the means to more business contacts. What are friends really for?

In the last two years, I saw many changes in my friendships with my closest friends. We weathered the storms by the skin of our teeth. There were some days I wondered if the storm will ever end... There are days when I thought were just glory days and wished to God that they would not end!

But all things change over time especially people... we are all growing at different stages in our lives... sometimes we say the things that hurt people inadvertently... sometimes we forget about drawing boundaries and keeping a distance to give space. Many times, we take each other for granted, thinking that they will always be there for us. To me, friends are like library books... we chose them because they interest us. Their personalities fascinate us... the longer we spend reading them, the more we find that they have their life stories to tell... and their lives mirror our struggles in our own lives. But at times, when the time is up, we have to give them up. So that others may enjoy their company too. If we are selfish and we keep them for ourselves, we will find the consequences to be quite a heavy fine on our emotional well being.

We cannot hold on to good friends... they may be here for a reason or a season. I have learnt to set them free... at the time that God is leading them away. Friends are not meant to be possessions... they are God's gifts to us to remind us how much He loves us and knows our needs for companionship. The irony is if you let them go, they will become your friends for a lifetime.

Today is my birthday. Today commemorates a very special day for me! I have had 3 very special presents - Discovered the meaning of a fulfilling friendship, the joy of having a sister and the magnitude of forgiveness. I also learnt the importance of giving and receiving love!

Thank you for listening to my story... I hope it has enriched you in some ways. Remember God knows exactly what you need in a friend. He will show you who he/she is and you will be so thankful for His thoughtfulness. Do not despair when there are misunderstandings or misconstrued situations, just offer everything up to God and He will make everything right!

He did just that for me in my story! I can testify that He kept me safe in a crazy world...


You keep me flying
You keep me smiling
You keep me safe in a crazy world
You understand me
Embrace my fragility
You keep me safe in a crazy world
And in your arms I find the strength to believe in me again

"Safe in a Crazy World" by Corrinne May, 2003